The Opelousas courier., 1887-12-24
WILD HORSES.
Their Pursuit and Capture in
the Southwest.
The Animals Tired Out by Re-
lays of Mounted Hunters.

The Staked Plains of Texas form a
stronghold for the surviving bands of
horses in the southwest. Hunting par
tics take several hundred head yearly.
The method generally adopted when
hunting horses is to walk them" that
is, to follow them persistently until
they are completely tagged out and
thoroughly subdued. At first sight this
plan would seem impossible, for the
horse carrying the rider woald be GER
tain to be sdone for" when the rider.
less and unfettcred animal was compar-
atively fresh. But the habit of horses
when in a natural state is to keep to q
certain range, generally about fifteen or
twenty miles in diameter. To
this ground they will conf1e
themselves, even when pursued:
consequently they will fee more or less
in a circle. The horse-hunter, knowing
this popularity, forms his plans ac-
cordingly. When the party have
reached the wild-horse plains, they
pitch their camp near some water-hole.
Two of them then sally out on horse
back, when, if they are lucky enough to
sight a herd, they at nee give chase.
The wild horses quickly take the alarm,
and for the first few hours the hunters
have difficulty in keeping their game iu
finding their pursuers are not gaining on
them, slaeken their speed, and the hunt
ers, instead Of trying to run up to them,
slacken theirs. In accordance with their
habit the herd viii travel in a circle
round their range, aud before the hunt
ers have been many hours in pursuit
they will have arrived in the vicinity of
their camp. If not in sight of it, they
fire a quick succession of pistol shots,
the reports being audible for
many miles on the silent level
prairies. This signifies to the men
in camp that a herd is being pursued,
and in a few minutes two men are
mounted, who gallop in the direction of
the shots. They soon come up with
their friends, and the tired men and
horses return to camp to rest themselves
until it is their turn TO be called out on
relief; meanwhile tho fresh men carry
on the pursuit. Mlis goes on day and
night, until tie herd is dead beat, Z
and@an be driven like cattle to the
camp. Sometimes, when tho pursued
herd is composed Of stout, vigorous
horses the chase extends over four or five
days; but generally they succumb after
two days pursuit. The few short hours
Of darkness which constitute a summers
: night on the prairies is the time when
the hunters are most liable to have their
t game . scape them; but there is gener-
ally q hazy light by which objects can
be distinguished even at a distance
when this fails the hunter depends en-.
tirely upon his steed, and if well trained
it wildly sense of smellkeep nthe track:
i of the rowing herd. Instances have
j been known of herds when nearly ex
hausted turning on their pursuers, and
by means Of hoofs and teeth attempting
J to drive them away, but such cases arr
rare, the aim of the wild horse being t,
, keep as far as possible from his enemies
!. even when in a desperate condition,
: When the subdued herd has been driver
to camp they ARE surrounded, and b,
2 means of the lasso several of them ar
caught, and hobbies are fastened q
their forelegs; this effectually prevent
7 them from straying to any catdistance
1 and the rest Of the herd will always re
main in the vicinity of their manacle'
Il friends. Some hunters adopt the crue
i practice Of skneeling" their captiyes
: this being done BY severing the sinew
at the back Of the knee Joints; ithas tn
effect Of making The animals PAGES eS
trcmely slow, and u only perforine,
!. on mares, IS i .kncedn hors
is totally unfit for work
Being the descendants Of the stoc
!. originally brought owe by the SPANS
conquerors many 81 these horses retail
the delicate muscles and general bull
s of thssSpanish horse, but they hay
! greatly degencrated from in-breedine
4 and seldom exceed fourteen bands ]
height; they make useful servants Whe
caught young and well brokeEh but the
Y always retain their love Of freedom, an
E will often f~orsalke their masters and +
= turn to their old 1iaunts when q favord
bic opportunity presents itself.
4 Oldest o9 TIE Sciences.
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